Wiring device quick connect terminals



Aug. 19, 1958 H. D. WILLIAMS ET Al. 2,848,705

WIRING DEVICE QUICK CONNECT TERMINALS Filed June 30. 1955 United StatesPatent (3 WIRNG DEWCE QUCK CONNECT TERMINALS Herbert D. Williams,Monroe, and Donald J.' Krom,

Bridgeport, Conn., assigner-s to General Electric Company, a corporationof New York Application .lune 30, 1955, Serial No. 519,212

4 Claims. (Cl. 339-200) The present invention relates to wiring deviceshaving quick connect terminals and particularly to lamp-holders fordouble-ended electric discharge lamps, commonly known as uorescentlamps.

In the past it has been the common practice to provide binding screwsfor making electrical connection between the contacts of a wiring deviceand the lead wires. This invention involves an elimination of suchbinding screws and a substitution of quick connect terminals that aredesigned to reduce the time necessary in wiring such a device.

The present invention, of which there are several rnodifications,relates generally to a movable slider of insulating material thatextends through one side of the device so that when a lead wire isinserted `through an opening in an adjacent wall of the housing, theslider may be moved to clamp the wire into iirm electrical connectionwith the terminal of the contact. This invention is specially designedfor stranded lead wires as distinguished from those having solidconductors. Stranded wire is very exible, hence it may be forced intovery tight bends for engagement with the terminal portions of thecontacts.

The rst modification of this invention has a single slider forconnecting a pair of lead wires to the terminal portions of a pair ofcontact members. The second modication incorporates a separate sliderfor each'terminal portion of a contact which will increase the ease ofWiring a device embodying our invention. Once the sliders are inclamping engagement with the lead wires of the device, it is necessaryto lock the sliders in position to insure a trustworthy connectionbetween the elements. Also, there are several modifications of such alocking means.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a wiring devicewith quick connect terminals having a movable slider for clamping a leadwire to the terminal portion of a contact.

A further object of this invention is to provide a wiring device withquick connect terminals by using a movable slider for clamping the leadwires and by providing a novel latching means for holding the slider inits clamping position.

A further object of this invention is to utilize the back cover of awiring device for locking the movable slider of the quick connectterminal means in its clamping position.

Our invention will be better understood from the following descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawing and its scope will -bepointed out in the appended claims.

Figure l is a side elevational View showing the general arrangement of afluorescent lamp supported between a pair of lampholders embodying ourinvention.

Figure 2 is a fro-nt elevational view of one of the lampholders ofFigure l.

Figure 3 is a partial sectional view of the back of the lampholder ofFigure 2.

Figure 4 is a View of the lowerv portion of Figure 3 after the movableslider is forced into the lampholder.

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Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 except that the back cover memberhas been assembled in place to show how it cooperates with the movableslider to hold it in its clamping position.

Figure 6 is a View similar to Figure 4 showing a modiiication of themovable slider. l

Figure 7 is a bottom plan view of the lampholder'of Figure 6 showing thecooperation between the back cover of the lampholder and the movablesliders for holding the sliders in their clamping positions.

Figure 8 is a bottom plan view ofthe lampholder of Figure 4 showing thecooperation between the back cover member and the movable slider.

Figure 9 is a bottom plan view vof the lampholder of Figure 3 showingamodiied latching means for holding the movable slider in either itsinner or its outer positions.

Referring in detail to the drawing, Figure l shows a standard bi-pinuorescent lamp 10 supported at its opposite ends in identicallampholder-s 11 and 12 which are constructed in accordance with yourinvention. The lampholders are in turn supported from a reflectingsurface 13 forming partof the lighting fixture. The lamp l0 'has atubular glass envelope 14 that has its ends closed by lamp bases 15 and16. Each lamp base is provided with a pair of contact pins (not shown)to bel supported in the lampholders 1l and 12. Although we have chosento illustrate our invention as being incorporated in a bi-pinfluorescent lampholder, it should be appreciated that the quick connectterminals of this invention have general utility in the wiring deviceart.

Turning now to a consideration of the lampholder12 of Figures 2 and 3,it will be seen that it comprisesa recessed body member 20 having acover member 21 for closing the back of the lampholder to form a hollowhousing of suitable insulating material. A front face 22 is provided atits upper end with a circular opening 23 that communicates with theinterior of the holder. A vertical partition 24 formed centrally withinthe body member 20 has a split cylindrical embossment 25 centrallylocated within the circular opening 23. A vertical slot 26'at the top ofthe body member 2G provides an opening through which a pair ofverticallyaligned contact members on the lamp base may be inserted untilthe lower pin rests on the bottom edge of the circular opening 23. Thepresent lampholder is provided with a pair of symmetrical contacts 27for making electrical connection with the contact pins extending fromthe end of the lamp. These contacts 27 are separated by the partition 24and are provided at their upper ends with inwardly facing V- shapednotches 23 which are located adjacent the outer opposed sides of theembossment 25. Accordingly, after inserting the contact pins of the lampthrough the slot 26 until the lower pin rests on the edge of opening 23,a twisting force applied to the lamp will move the contact pins againstthe contacts 27 to spread them apart until the contact pins slip intothe V-shaped notches 2S, which is the normal lamp supporting position.

Looking at Figure 3, the interior ofthe body member 20 is provided witha pair of spaced protrusions 30 extending from the side walls of thebody member to serve as a fulcrum means for the contacts 27. The backcover member 2l is assembled to the body member 20 by means of the screwfastener 29 which threads into an opening in the partition 24. Figure 5shows two additional screwV fasteners 29 at the lower end of thelampholder for holding the cover member 2l onto the body member 20. Thedesign of the main portion of the lampholder, as explained above, isconventional as is illustrated in the Bryant Patent No. 2,262,091 whichis assigned to the same assignee as is the present invention.` Eachcontact member 27 is provided with a terminal portion 31 which extendsat a right angle to the main'portion of the contact slotV 33 so that amovable slider or plate 35 of suitable insulating material may beoperated within the slot 33 as is best shown in the bottom plan View ofFigure 9.

The bottom wall 32 of the housing is provided with a pair of conductorwire-receiving apertures 36. The lterminal portion 31 of each contacthas an opening 37 formed by lancing the tongue 38 to aord a roundedbearing surface for the bare lead wire as will be explained hereinafter.The leading edge of the slider'35 is slotted as at 39 so that when theslot 39 is in alignment with the aperture 36 of the housing and theopening 37 in the adjacent terminal portion, a wire-receiving opening 4Gof the slider will be in alignment with the opening 37 in the otherterminal' portion. Consequently, it is possible to insertV the barestrands 41 of the lead wires 42 into the housing through the apertures36, then through the slider and nally the terminal portions of thecontacts as is best seen in Figure 3. It is then apparent that if theslider 35 is forced into the housing, the strands 41 will be moved bythe slider until they are wedged between the terminal Y portion of eachcontact and the opposed inner surface of the bottom wall 32 of thehousing as it best seen in Figure 4. The importance of the lanced tongue38 is now apparent since its rounded configuration does not cut into theindividual strands of the lead wires to weaken the connection. Thus,`the slider makes both a firm mechanical and electrical connectionbetween the lead wires and the contacts.Y

However, a positive latching means must be provided for holding theslider 35 in its innermost clamping position; otherwise a pull on thelead wires would tend to force the slider out of the housing. Figure 8of the drawing shows a bottom plan view ,of the lampholder of Figure 4with the slider 35 in its innermost position. The back cover 21"of theholder is provided with a square-shaped opening 45 adjacent one edge ofthe cover, as is best seen in Figure 5. This opening overlies a sideedge of the movable slider 35.l A cam-shaped latch 46 is located on thisside edge of the slider` for mating engage- -ment with the opening 45.The latch 46 is provided with an inclined front surface 47 and aperpendicular rear surface 48. Since the back cover 21 is of thininsulating material such as Textolite, it springs upwardly when theslider is-forced into the housing and the inclined surface 47 of thelatch 46 strikes the edge of the cover. When the wires 42 which willforce the slider outwardly of the holder until the wires aredisconnected.

A second modification of the latching means for the movable slider 35 isshown in Figure 9 of the drawing. Here a U-shaped spring locking member50 is assembled in the housing before the cover member 21 is applied,with the free end 51 of the spring in cooperation with the pair ofnotches 52 in the adjacent edge of the slider. The purpose of the twonotches 52 is to make provisions for locking the slider in either itsinner or its outer positions. As shown in Figure 9, the slider is lockedin its v`outer position and it stands ready to receive the lead wires 42and to be depressed inwardly of the holder. When the sliderS isdepressedfthe free end 51 of the -springmember 50 will snap into theother notch 52 and hold the slider against unintentional displacement.To remove the slider it is merely necessary to insert a small screwdriver or nail to retract the free end 51 of the locking spring 50 sothat when the lead wires are pulled, the slidery will move to itsoutermost position. It should be apparent that this latching means couldbe yused with either the single slider arrangement of Figure 3 or thedouble sliders of Figure 6. Y

The modification of Figure 6 of the4 drawing shows a single slider 53for each -contact member 54. This permits the terminal portionV of thecontract 54 to be made into a channel shape for'adouble wiping actionbetween the bare lead wire and the terminals. The channel shape 55 ismadeY by Yformingar perpendicular leg 56 and then by lancingracomplementary leg 57 to be parallelwith the former leg. Thus `theleading edge of the slider engages the bare lead wire 41 and wedges itbetween the legsof the channel-shaped terminal portions of the contacts.Y This modicationmay be considered by some to be an advantage over thatshown in Figure 3 since itis not necessary to connect both'lead wires atthe Vsame time and the double wiping engagement between the bare leadwire and the terminal portion of the contact would be an improvementover the single wiping action of Figure 3.

Figure 7 merely shows a bottom plan view of the modification of Figure 6where the separate sliders are locked in the housing by the cooperationof the back covermember 58and the latch 59 on the edge of the slider.

Accordingly, having described our invention of a novel:

quick connect terminal means for a fluorescent lampholder, it will bereadily appreciated that our invention is both simple in deisgn andreliable in operation and that Y it should increase the ease of wiringsuch a device. Since it is not necessary to provide tapped openings forthe usual binding screws, we have also been ableto reduce the cost ofmanufacturing this device so thatV it represents a` decided improvementover the prior art.

Modifications of this invention vwill occur to those skilled in this artand it is to be understood, therefore, that this invention is notlimited to the particular embodiments disclosed but that itis intendedto cover all modiications which are within the true spirit and scope ofthisl invention.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

l. An electrical wiring device comprising a hollow housing having atleast one contact member located therein, the terminal end of saidcontact being arranged in a spaced parallel relation to an inner wall ofsaid housing, a conductor wire-receiving aperture in said wall, and alanced opening in said terminal portion substantially in alignment withthe aperture in the. saidV wall, a slider extending through an adjacentwall of said housing and movable between the said terminal portion andsaid apertured wall, the opening inthe said terminal portion beinglanced in a direction away from the slider to leave a rounded edgesurface on the side of the opening remote from the outer position of theslider so that when a lead wire is inserted through the aperture in thehousing the slider may bedepressed to wedge the wire between the saidterminal portion and the opposed parallel wall surface of the housing,and locking means for holding the slider within the housing.

2. An electrical wiring deviceV comprising a hollow housing having apair of contacts located therein, the terminal end of each contact beingarranged within the same plane and in a spaced parallel relation toan'inner wall of said housing, a Vconductor wire-receiving aperture insaid wall and adjacent each of said terminal portions to be in alignmentwith an opening in said terminal portions, and a slider extendingthrough an adjacent wall of said housing and movable between the saidterminal portions and said apertured wall, the leading edge of theslider being provided with an `opening so that when Vthe said opening isaligned with the opening in the adjacent terminal portion, an additionalopening in fthe wire between the said terminal portions and the adjacentinner wall surface of the housing to form a rm electrical connectiontherewith, and releasable latch means for holding the slider in thisinner clamping position.

3. An electrical wiring device as recited in claim 2 wherein thereleasable latch means comprises a spring locking member for alternateengagement in a pair of notches formed in the side of the slider.

4. An electrical Wiring device comprising a hollow housing havingatleast one contact member located therein, a resilient cover member forclosing the housing, said contact having a terminal portion for makingan electrical connection with a bare lead wire, a wirereceiving openingformed in one wall of the housing, and a slider extending through anadjacent wall of the housing and movable from an outermost position toone in which the slider forces a lead wire into engagement with the saidterminal portion, said slider being arranged with one side edge engagingthe underside of the cover, and means for locking the said slider in itsclamping position comprising a latch formed on said edge of the sliderfor cooperation with an opening in the said cover whereby the cover isexed upwardly by the latch as the slider moves into the housing untilthe latch nally is confined in the said opening of the cover.

References Cited in the flle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSSellers July 12, 1949

